Happy Sunday my fellow Adventurers!…read more This is a relatively new hidden gem that I just found. From what I know it was a swimming hole back in 1989 however they closed it down when it was used for a water resource until recently they decided to bring it back to its original roots. (Please fat check this) It has the brand new man made beach complete with what seems to be quarry sand that is course and not like beach sand. Its a beautiful white and lovely when the sun hits its crystalline in texture. The beach itself is small relatively compared to say a lake community beach. There are two lifeguard stations and several rotating guards. The small beach has four areas with noodle ropes in order for you to make sure you are swimming in the right spots. They offer swimming lessons which is really good for the local communities. They also have a platform in the middle which is about 11 feet deep which is reminiscent of the 'Blob' Movie. I half expected that the Blob would come especially if you sneak in after hours. (I don't recommend this lol) You basically pull in and park either on the grass or follow the road to the concession stand. You can purchase a day pass for $10 with no residential requirement for the area. I believe you can purchase an annual badge which I think runs $25-35 per person. You fill out a form that is all legalities and liabilities in order to get the badge or wristband for a day pass. The staff are really helpful and accommodating for any questions you may have. They have very clean porta-potties that are frequently serviced. As well as a concession stand that offered hotdogs, hang burgers, and various other carnival like foods. They sometimes run out of items like sauerkraut with no compensation of any sort which I get they can't help but it's a small area and was open at 11 am, we got there by 12. Always purchase back ups in order to provide for your customers. The hot dogs are pre-grilled and wrapped in aluminum so don't expect a fresh dirty water dog. The overall experience is a really nice one considering you battle tons of traffic going the shore versus the short ten minute drive from Hamburg and $10 fee. It's also really brand new and still working itself out.

The Franklin pond has just reopened the lake to swim and also paddle boat . The reopening was…read moreofficially on June 30,2018 . They had a huge celebration on Franklin Day . They had an official ribbon cutting with the Mayor and city officials. The town has worked extremely hard to get this reopened and also put a lot of work to clean it up and really make a great place to visit and make some great memories at . Besides having the beach and water to swim at they have a nice place to bbq or picnic . Lots of benches to sit and relax . They have fields to play ball and hoops to play basketball . They also have a playground for children. The scenery is beautiful. If you are a photographer lots of great spots to take pictures at . The lake does have a fee to swim . You can get a day pass or season pass . But the rest of the park is free . Franklin Borough is slowly coming back to life . The town officials are working hard to rebuild and create a great town . I give them a thumbs up . Proud to call Franklin Borough my home .

I wasn't able to find many good playgrounds in and around Lincoln Park. Yes, there's a small…read moreplayground nearby, but it doesn't have swings and only has one slide. One day while coming back from Costco, we noticed Centennial Park. It is mainly a children's playground, with a small gravel walking path and a couple of benches for adults. When I searched online, I found very few photos of the park. So during our visit, we clicked around 20 pictures to help others get a better idea of what the playground looks like. My daughter is 15 months old, and she had a great time on the swings. I think kids between 2 and 10 years old would enjoy this place even more. There are multiple slides, climbing structures, a merry-go-round, and lots of other play equipment to keep them busy. There is a gravel parking area, so parking wasn't an issue. The only downside is that the park is tucked away a little inside the neighborhood instead of being on the main road. That may be why it's usually less crowded than you would expect. Overall, it's a nice neighborhood playground and a great place to bring young kids for an hour or two.

What a great hidden gem! A large, beautiful playground for toddlers and older kids easily…read moreaccessible from Wayne, Lincoln Park, Fairfield and North Caldwell. Daughter had a blast as we decided to take advantage of one of the last warm days of the year. It has structures for smaller children as well as larger children, and is beautifully decorated with large flowers that can provide shade form the hot sun on a summer day. I was informed by another mom here that this playground was recently renovated. There's also a large grass area and a small trail behind the playground. Tons of space and options. The frog and bear structures at the entrance are actually small trash cans- both a good and bad idea as it's aesthetically pleasing, however not an obvious trash can and leading young kids like my daughter to try to play with them (it took a few minutes for even me to realize they were trash cans). Minus one star as the baby swings and regular swings are on opposite ends of the playground, making it impossible to push both your older child and toddler child at the same time.

Best park I've ever seen. Wish there was more covered seating for eating and more swings but it's a…read moregreat place with a lot to do for the kids.

Amazing park!…read more However, there are no bathrooms nearby. Just portapotties. And NO CHANGING TABLES!!!!

I would not recommend sending your daughter to Camp Nyoda unless she's been part of the program…read moresince 2nd grade. Most of the campers are legacy (daughters of campers) or have been attending since the early grades. My daughter attended as a rising 6th grader and was not welcomed. The camp counselors were previous campers and promoted inappropriate behavior. They gave one of the girls in their bung (cabin) "honorary counselor" status which exacerbated the situation. From a facilities perspective, the toilets were out of services for a few days so the girls got buckets of water from the lake to flush the toilets. We also paid the additional fee for riding sessions. However, she was asked to clean the stable instead and her sessions were given to legacy campers (the activities are supervised by counselors). After connecting with the owners, they recognized their opportunity areas.

This is the wrong address, Nyoda Girls Camp is located at 136 Cozy Lake Rd,OakRidge, NJ 07438…read more All three of my girls who are women now attended this most remarkable camp. Now my grand-daughter has been there for years and the excitement of going back to Nyoda is just magical. This year 2017 they are celebrating 100 Years and there will be a weekend reunion after this year's camp ends. I am going up with my girls because even though I never attended Nyoda, It is STILL a blessed place for me too because they brought my three girls into womanhood and taught them things I could not teach i.e. Living and liking people you may not even get along with, total inclusion. Being responsible, loving nature, doing chores willingly. And more than anything comradeship.

Love this park for my kids and they recently installed brand new playgrounds. There is a nice trail…read moreyou can take over the water and into the woods too.

Just an anonymous little rest area on state route 23 northbound sidw with some picnic tables and a…read morenice view across the higgway of a lake and mountain , and plenty of parking. to the right is forest. a tranquil spot, if it were not for all the traffic on busy route 23...

This is one of my favorite local hikes. Its not too far of a drive if you are coming from Bergen…read moreCounty like myself. Upon arrival there is a pretty decent size lot with a good amount of parking. I have never had an issue finding a spot. The hikes are pretty calm with nothing being too strenuous. But you can still get a good hike in. There is a huge lake, a waterfall, some old foundations, a few old tanks, and a dam. So there is a lot to see here. There is even one point where you can see what appears to be an old jeep off one of the trails. This is a good hike if you want to get a good walk in without it being to tough. There is also plenty to see throughout the hikes.

This is our first hike that we took in NJ and although we did not see any bears (thankfully!!) - my…read morehusband did pull out a huge dog tick which was making its way into my skin!! This was absolutely my nightmare come true and I am partially to blame for because I did not spray an insect repellant. I also did not wear clothing that covered my stomach (it was hot!). Anyways, apart from that little scare, it was a beautiful hike. There are a few different trails (based on difficulty) which are detailed on a billboard at the entrance. There are a ton of squirrels and chipmunks running around...like A TON! So don't get scared and think it's a bear. The Butler Reservoir is a beautiful scenery and you can take some awesome pictures! Also, the trail itself is pretty rocky. TIPS: *Wear good hiking shoes, there are some steep/slippery areas and it's rocky most of the way. *Spray insect repellant, inspect your exposed skin for ticks AND take a shower right after you get home. Remove the tick very slowly to prevent the head from breaking off. *If you see a bear - DO NOT RUN! Scream and make yourself appear bigger/more scary by waving hands. *Take a lot of beautiful pictures! *Plan and follow the trail. The trail is available on google maps if you ever get lost and there are color coded markings on the trees throughout the hike. And most importantly - HAVE FUN!

Super nice 3 mile trail around lake with tall walls from an old marl factory half way around. Water…read moreis super clear and tho' it says no swimming, you may fall off your paddle board sometimes! Has parking w boat launch and a porta potty.

Our pup loves taking walks at the Tourne! They have multiple paths so the chances of running into…read morelots of people and other dogs are very slim, which is great for us as he's still in training and is reactive.

This location is an absolutely lovely spot to go for a hike. My SO and I got to explore the park on…read morea quiet Monday morning, there weren't many people around. The trails were clearly marked and very clean, making our trek enjoyable. We hiked to the top of Tourne, enjoying the fresh air and views. We also got to explore the Emily K. Hammond Wildflower Trail, which was a nice detour from the normal trails. We'll be returning once the flowers are expected to bloom so we can learn more about the species on the trail.

The good vibes with friendly, cheerful staff. Really pristine...snow tubing, equipment in good…read morecondition. Food prices weren't too expensive. The bad...logistics. Not enough lockers for everyone, not even a designated area to pay for someone to look after your stuff. Best to go with family and someone to guard your stuff. The coin lockers did not work. Maybe it was the day we went on Presidents day but it was crowded. And the magic carpet stopped and started with no warning so you may face plant into your snow tube if you're not careful. Due to the crowded, only able to go tubing maybe 5 runs. Ultimately a place great for kids ....

Dear Yelp, Visited…read morehere last night for a school sponsored snow tubing event. Lines were long, my daughter and her friend got in maybe 5 runs in an hour and 20 minutes which seemed like a decent amount. She loved it and said it was a lot of fun and wants to return in the next few days before it closes for the season. However, the one staff member I interacted with at the entrance to the snowtubing left a bitter taste in my mouth. He was not kind, polite or helpful. He seemed annoyed to even have to explain how anything works. I'm sure it's overwhelming, but he just seemed really unhappy to be working. There is ample parking. Love, Nicole